It’s all about La Jolla, San Diego, California

Have the best real estate agent La Jolla has to offer supply you with all the information you need about the city and its data. La Jolla is a city in southern California that is bounded on the south by the Pacific Beach and the Pacific Ocean on the west, and includes ‘Torrey Pines’ State Reserve, up to Del Mar in the north. Within its area, it counts Torrey Pines, Bird Rock, Mount Soledad, Windansea Beach, La Jolla VIllage, Muirlands, La Jolla Farms, as well as La Jolla Shores, among others. The eastern boundary is defined by ‘City of San Diego’ as Interstate 5 and Gilman Drive, with the ‘University of California’ San Diego (UCSD) as the northern boundary.

There is some inconsistency with how the Postal Service sees La Jolla. It has its own unique ZIP code 92037 which designates it as a geographically and historically distinct area on its own. The postal address within the area is La Jolla, CA, with the 920- ZIP code prefix designating it as a suburb of San Diego, compared to the 921- prefix of San Diego inclusive areas. Additionally, the 92037 ZIP code includes areas up to ‘Genesee Avenue’ and Del Mar. However, although geographically the UCSD campus is inside the Postal Service area code, it has its own ZIP codes 92092 and 92093.

Boundaries

The La Jolla boundaries are important in the grand scheme of things considering the city management as well as planning services. La Jolla has a separate Community Planning Association which helps in advising the City Council, the Planning Commission, and the City Planning Department, along with other government agencies in the initial planning, design, preparation, implementation as well as adoption of amendments to the General and the Community Plan for the area. The Community Planning Association is also the body that is responsible for accepting and reviewing development proposals for the area.

Living in ‘La Jolla’ in California

Separate from the Community Planning Association is the ‘La Jolla Council’ which is a nonprofit organization that represents the businesses and citizens of La Jolla. Aside from the above, the ‘Bird Rock Community Council’ represents the ‘Bird Rock neighborhood,’ in the same manner the ‘La Jolla Shores Association’ serves the same purpose for the residents and businesses of La Jolla Shores.

The main residential suburban area is composed of La Jolla Shores, Country CLub, La Jolla Farms, Hidden Valley, La Jolla Heights, the Village, Beach-Barber Tract, ‘Bird Rock,’ La Jolla Village, Lower Hermosa, Upper Hermosa, Muirlands, ‘La Jolla Mesa,’ Muirlands West, La Jola Mesa, Upper Hermosa, ‘La Jolla Alta,’ as well as Soledad South.

Located in the west of UCSD is La Jolla Farms, which includes the Salk Institute, Torrey Pines Gliderport and a residential neighborhood which is overlooking Black’s Beach. Shores of La Jolla include the ‘Scripps Institution’ of Oceanography campus and a residential section and some businesses along ‘Avenida de la Playa’. La Jolla Heights is a residential area that overlooks the ‘La Jolla’ Shores.

There are a few neighborhoods nestled around Mount Soledad. Muirlands is a relatively large residential area along the midwestern middle slope of Mount Soledad. Hidden Valley, on the other hand, is located on the lower portion of the northern slopes of ‘Mount Soledad’.

La Jolla Neighborhoods

Hidden Valley

La Jolla Heights

Country Club

The Village

Soledad South

La Jolla Shores

The Muirlands

La Jolla Mesa

Lower Hermosa

La Jolla North Village

La Jolla Farms

Bird Rock

Muirlands West

La Jolla Alta

Beach Barber Tract

Upper Hermosa

What the Place has to Offer

The Country Club includes the ‘La Jolla Country Club’ golf course and is located on the lower portion of the northwest side of Mount Soledad. Located north of Muirlands is Muirlands West, it is south of the Country Club.

On the southern side of Mount Soledad is the ‘La Jolla Mesa’ which also borders on Pacific Beach. Soledad South is on the southeastern slopes and going up to the peak of Mount Soledad. Bird Rock is located at the lowest slopes of ‘Mount Soledad’ in the southern coastal ‘La Jolla’. It has shops as well as restaurants along the ‘La Jolla’ Boulevard. It has surfing areas two blocks away from the main road.

The Village of ‘La Jolla’ is considered as the “downtown” business district where the shops and restaurants are also located. It also includes the relatively heavily populated residential areas surrounding it. The Village is not the same as the ‘La Jolla’ Village.

The ‘La Jolla’ Village is found in the northeast of La Jolla, bounded in the east by La Jolla Heights and in the south by UCSD. It is named after the ‘La Jolla’ Village Square shopping mall.

Between the Village and the Windansea Beach is the Beach-Barber Tract where some business establishments are located along the highway. South of ‘Beach-Barber Tract’ is the ‘Lower Hermosa’ coastal strip. Upper Hermosa is found in the northern part of Bird Rock in southwestern La Jolla.

La Jolla Alta is to the west of Soledad South, it is a planned-development residential community.

Geographically, the two main points of interest to La Jolla are the Mount Soledad and the beaches. Residences dot the narrow roads of Mount Soledad with a view of the Pacific Ocean. The beaches along the coastline of La Jolla include: Windansea Beach, Shell Beach, Marine Street, Boomers Beach, Horse Shoes, La Jolla Cove, Scripps, La Jolla Shores, Wipeout Beach as well as Black’s Beach. The Black’s Beach is considered as a de facto nude beach.

Of particular interest to residents are the prices of residential properties in ‘La Jolla’. As per a survey conducted by Coldwell Banker, an average cost of a ‘standard’ four bedroom home in the community cost $1.842 million in 2008. The same standardized home cost $2.125 million, on average for the year 2009. These were the highest house prices for the country during those years.

If people ask why you would ever want to live in La Jolla, there are plenty that you can answer. All in all, it is just the right combination of city living but with a touch of rural life. It is not the same as living in an area with high rises and condos. Here you will still get a chance to live in a house with your own backyard and grow some real trees and flowers. You can have pets and let your children run around as much as they please.

At the same time, you are only a stone’s throw away from the commercial centers and shopping districts. You have everything you need and all that you can ever want. Undoubtedly, this place is really perfect to invest in.

La Jolla is an affluent area in San Diego, California with a ZIP code of 92037. This hilly seaside neighborhood is located on the curving coastline of California right along the Pacific Ocean within San Diego’s city limits. It occupies 7 miles of that coastline. The neighborhood was noted for having the highest real estate prices in the country from the year 2008 to 2009, with a standard four-bedroom home that is being valued at US $1.842 million in 2008, increasing to US $2.125 million in 2009. In the year 2004, La Jolla was estimated to be a home to 42,808 residents. In 2010, it was estimated to have 31,746 residents by the community planning area.

The area was surrounded by beaches as well as ocean bluffs. It is 40 miles south of Orange County and 12 miles north of Downtown San Diego. It has a mild climate with a temperature averaging to 70.5 ºF everyday. There are a lot of businesses in this neighborhood including dining, lodging, real estate, shopping, finance, software, medical practice, bio-engineering, as well as scientific research.

La Jolla is also a home to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Salk Institute, Scripps Research Institute, as well as the National University headquarters.

How It was Named

The first Native American settlers, called the Kumeyaay, used to call La Jolla mat kulaaxuuy or “land of holes.” It was not clear why it was named with “holes” in it, but this could be likely due to the presence of sea-level caves that were found on the bluffs facing north, which can be easily seen off the La Jolla Shores. The name Kumeyaay was then translated by the Spanish settlers into “La Jolla.”

Another version of how the neighborhood was named is that the name “La Jolla” is derived from the Spanish word “la joya,” or “the jewel.” Although scholars will not agree, this version of the origin of the area’s name is more widely accepted. This name then gave way to the area’s nickname of “Jewel City.”

The Scripps Legacy

Ellen Browning Scripps came to and chose to settle in La Jolla in the year 1896. She was a journalist and a publisher. She remained in the neighborhood for 35 years. Scripps was a wealthy woman as she earned big from her writing and investments and inherited a lot of money from her brother, George H. Scripps, in the year 1900. The writer remained single and childless, instead focusing her time on philanthropic activities, particularly geared toward helping La Jolla. She also left a lot of buildings as her legacy, with a lot of them the work of Irving Gill or his nephew/partner Louis Gill.

Many of the buildings that Scripps commissioned are listed on the National Register of Historic Places or acknowledged by the city of San Diego as historic places. These historic buildings include the La Jolla Woman’s Club, the La Jolla Recreational Center, the first buildings of The Bishop’s School, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s Old Scripps Building, and Scripps’ home as well. Her home was built in the year 1915 and is now being used as the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.

With Scripps’ financial help, the Scripps Memorial Hospital was opened in the year 1924. It was first built on Prospect Street in La Jolla, but was moved to its current site in the year 1964. Her donations also helped build the Scripps Metabolic Clinic (now called the Scripps Research Institute), and the Children’s Pool.

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography was launched in the year 1903, making it one of the country’s oldest oceanographic institutes. Its founder was William Emerson Ritter, the University of California’s zoology department chairman. Scripps and her brother supported the institute. This institute was first housed on a boathouse in Coronado. It was only established permanently in La Jolla in 1905 when the founders and donors bought a 170-acre site. The first laboratories were launched in the year 1907. It was eventually assimilated to the University of California in 1912 and is now considered as the heart of the University of California, San Diego.

The Universities

The idea of putting up a University of California campus in San Diego was first suggested by local civic leaders, who continued to push the idea through after the World War II. While under the directorship of Roger Revelle, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography rose to being a critical defense contractor. Convair and other local aerospace companies were also clamoring for a development of local training for a potential employment pool of engineers and scientists. The state formally endorsed the suggestion in 1955, with it being approved in 1960 by the Regents of the University of California.

The campus was first named as University of California, La Jolla, but it was eventually replaced by University of California, San Diego in 1960. The first chancellor was Herbert York (1961), followed by John Semple Galbraith (1964). The UCSD had a college system which is now composed of six colleges. Its first college was founded in 1965 and was called Revelle College in honor of its director, Roger Revelle. He is considered as the university’s “father.” The university expanded to include a medical school which was founded in the year 1968. Its Geisel Library was launched in 1970.

The Arts

La Jolla was born as an art colony in 1894 upon the introduction of the Green Dragon Colony, with Anna Held (or Anna Held Heinrich) at the helm. The colony had 12 cottages, still designed by Irving Gill. At that time, Gill had only lived in San Diego for a year and became the most famous architect in the city.

The La Jolla Playhouse opened in 1947. It was founded by Gregory Peck, Mel Ferrer, and Dorothy McGuire. However, it closed in 1959 and was only reopened in 1983 as it became a part of the University of California campus under the management of Des McAnuff. It is now composed of three theaters including the Mandell Weiss Theatre launched in 1983, the Mandell Weiss Forum launched in 1991, and the Potiker Theater launched in 2005.

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego was opened in 1941. It was actually the home of Ellen Browning Scripps. Several renovations were done to the museum, the latest of which was done by Robert Venturi of Venturi, Scott Brown & Associates in the year 1996.

La Jolla: A City of Amazing Landmarks and Attractions
La Jolla is a prominent location being a home to Torrey Pines Golf Course, the chosen spot for PGA Tour event or Buick Invitational in January or February. In the year 2008, the same course also served as a venue of the 2008 U.S. Open. Several beaches can also be found in the city such as Black’s Beach, the de facto nude beach, and the Torrey Pines Gliderport.

General City Profile

La Jolla is a pretty developed city with its numerous commercial establishments. It gained fame for having remarkable jewelry stores, restaurants, superb hotels, and upscale boutiques. Girard Avenue and Prospect Street are considered as the shopping and dining hub because of their numerous establishments.

The city also showed commitment to art appreciation by commissioning various artists to create murals in the year 2011. Taking on the project was the La Jolla Community Foundation aimed to improve the city’s scenery with aid from featured artists such as Kim MacConnell, Julian Opie and John Baldessari. The projects gave birth to 11 murals and were available on display for two years.

The Wildstorm Productions, a comic book publisher, was established in La Jolla after its founder, Jim Lee, opened the facility in 1993. It stayed operational until the year 2010 after DC Comics bought the publisher in 1990 as an imprint.

In 2011, La Jolla was chosen as the setting of The Real World: San Diego, the 2011 season of MTV reality TV series.

La Jolla also serves as the Sundt Memorial Foundation headquarter. This organization is recognized across the country as a group that aims to discourage young people from engaging in drug-related activities.

Attractions and Landmarks

La Jolla has a notable list of landmarks and attractions, making it a top choice among vacationers. First are its beaches, it has access to beaches such as Windansea Beach, La Jolla Cove and Children’s Pool Beach, as well as La Jolla Shores. Its beach profile made the city the rough water swim host at La Jolla Cove.

Highlighting its commitment to the arts is maintaining the Museum of Contemporary Art, an exhibition site established in 1941. This museum is situated above the waterfront and was formerly the 1915 home of Ellen Browning Scripps, a notable philanthropist. Its main collection includes over 3500 post-1950 works of American and European artists such as paintings, sculptures, photography, paper art, and multimedia creations. In 1990, the museum was renamed as Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego due to its regional importance.

Several of the notable landmarks in the city are The Bishop’s School, La Jolla Women’s Club, Grande Colonial Hotel, Mt. Soledad Memorial, The 12 Green Dragon Buildings, KGTV Tower, Bed & Breakfast Inn at La Jolla, La Valencia (Cabrillo) Hotel) and Wisteria Cottage.

Education

La Jolla also has numerous schools that cater to the educational needs of students. The San Diego Unified School District serves La Jolla. The school district includes La Jolla Elementary School and La Jolla High School. La Jolla Elementary school was the first public academic facility established in the year 1896 and offered its first classes in the Heald Store. Originally located in Herschel Avenue and Wall Street, the school relocated to Girard Avenue. Other schools included in the district are Torrey Pines Elementary and Bird Rock Elementary. The public charter school, the Preuss School UCSD is also a part of the school district. Preparatory schools found in La Jolla are The Bishop’s School (the first private academic facility founded in 1909), Integral Elementary School of La Jolla, The Children’s School, and many more.

La Jolla residents taking higher education mainly go to The University of California – San Diego. The campus was formerly called UC La Jolla and includes the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

La Jolla serves as the headquarters of National University, which has numerous campuses across the state and the county. Research institutes located near the university are The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology (LIAI), the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, also known as La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation, and the Salk Institute.

Religious Facilities

La Jolla is a home to numerous churches including the Congregational Church; the first church built in the city but was burned in 1915. It was re-established in 1916 along 1216 Cave Street. Other churches are Barabbas Road Church, All Hallows Church, Assembly of God, La Jolla Presbyterian Church, La Jolla Christian Fellowship, and many more.

Our real estate agent La Jolla CA webpage is designed to provide information about the city. If you are looking to buy or sell a home in the area, have the top Realtor in La Jolla assist you. Our real estate agents are experts in the local market, and know La Jolla inside and out. Real estate agents are not all the same; work with an agent with a proven track record. Our real estate agents combine their expertise with mortgage lenders in San Diego California to arrange financing for their clients if needed, to further assist in the home buying process. To find out more about our La Jolla real estate agent, please contact the agent listed above.

Informative links

La Jolla – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
La Jolla | City Council District 1 – City of San Diego
La Jolla Community Profile | Planning Division
La Jolla Real Estate & La Jolla Homes For Sale — Trulia.com